Scottish catering and hospitality news in Scotland

ARE YOU ABOUT TO START A NEW JOB?
ARE YOU SETTING UP A NEW RESTUARANT OR HOTEL?
ARE YOU MOVING TO A NEW SCOTTISH TOWN?
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT BEING THE FISH OUT OF WATER?
DO YOU THINK YOU CAN EASILY ADAPT BEING IN A NEW CITY?

IWC Media are looking for anyone who is planning on setting up a new venture or business in the catering or hospitality industry in Scotland. The TV production company is hoping to make a documentary for the BBC which aims to examine the pros and cons of moving to a new city, and the struggles one faces when fitting in to a new lifestyle.

If you have an engaging and confident personality, and a good story to tell, email
fu.olaseinde@iwcmedia.co.uk

Are you a chef under the age of 25?

Do you think you have culinary flair?

What makes you stand out from the crowd?

Can you prove your worth in front of Scotland's Michelin-star chefs?

To take part in the country's search for new culinary talent, log on to the Scottish Food Scholarship website or contact Crimson Edge PR Tel: 0131 311 7050 or email crimson@crimsonedge.co.uk

Prizes will be presented at an awards ceremony on the 20th March 2006 to the winner and runners-up: the winning chef will be sent on an all-expenses-paid internship at the Fenix Restaurant in Melbourne.
The winner's establishment will receive kitchen equipment and supplies from a top-class kitchen and catering equipment supplier for one year.

What's more, if you nominate the winning chef you will win a case of Scotland's finest whisky.


Closing Date: 16 JANUARY 2006

Nineteen-year-old Lorraine Finnegan has scooped the title of Sodexho Junior Chef of the Year for UK and Ireland, despite the fact she has had no formal training.
Lorraine, from Greenhills, East Kilbride, works as a Food Services Assistant at the town's Scottish Enterprise Technology Park (SETP) where Sodexho Scotland supplies the catering.
'I was speechless when I won it,' she said. 'When I was at school I wanted to work in travel and tourism but ended up in an office, which I didn't particularly enjoy.
'Now I've decided I want to be a chef with Sodexho and I'm already beginning to put a portfolio of my work together.'

After starting at (SETP) in 2002, Lorraine caught the eye of resident chef Ian Armstrong who thought Lorraine showed potential. Soon she had a full-time job and, under Ian's guidance, was making up salads and running the deli bar in the SETP restaurant.
Since returning to work with her award, Lorraine joined the team of Sodexho's Business and Industry Executive Chef for Scotland and Northern Ireland, David Hunt.
'This will let Lorraine see what it takes to cook at a senior level,' said David. 'She is very, very keen and Sodexho is committed to training so I've started the ball rolling for her. There are great career opportunities for chefs and in commercial catering we don't have the same difficult hours experienced in hotel and restaurants, even although we work to the same creative standards.'

The UK debut of the World Food Market (WFM) took place at the ExCeL London from 23-24 November, attracting an audience of around 2,500 foodservice, cost sector and retail buyers and specifiers.
The inaugural show featured three distinct areas; the Ethnic & Speciality Food Exhibition, the Kosher Exhibition, and the Halal Exhibition, designed to reflect and embrace the growing cultural diversity of the UK's population and its various retail and foodservice demands, as well as the wider population's interest in ethnic cuisine. The UK debut World Food Market was a kaleidoscope of cooking demonstrations, product launches and free seminars, attracting a wide variety of visitors from cost sector organisations to restaurants and the major supermarket chains.

According to UK WFM Show Director, Katharine Mann, the UK ethnic food market has grown 44 per cent in the last six years and is worth an estimated £1.07billion: 'After the success of the WFM in Paris, bringing the show to the UK was a natural step,' she said.

The exhibition's founder, Antoine Bonnel, explains: 'We have hosted the World Food Market in Paris for four years and were the first event to bring halal, kosher and ethnic foods together under one roof.'

The WFM's two-day free education programme was part of the show's unique appeal with high profile industry bodies and market leaders sharing their knowledge, experience and expertise.

Seminars were tailored to incorporate key topics within the different exhibition sectors. Forums dedicated to Halal in Foodservice and Retail covered government rules and food preparation, consumer profiling and certification of halal.

Visitors could grab an ethnic lunch at the World Food Market Cafe where a range of halal, ethnic and kosher snacks and meals were available throughout the event.

Katharine Mann, WFM show director, summed up the event: 'The debut World Food Market has been a real success and the feedback we have received from exhibitors and visitors is fantastic. Hopefully the WFM 2006 will be surpass our achievements this year with an even wider range of exhibitors.'

The search for the KNORR National Chef of the Year 2006 is underway to discover who will join the ranks of Steve Love, Mark Sargeant and Gordon Ramsay as winner of this coveted title.

The bi-annual competition held at the Restaurant Show, now in it's 17th year, is run by the Craft Guild of Chefs and supported by KNORR. Open to all chefs over the age of 21 from across all sectors of the industry, it acknowledges and rewards the best talent in the country.

This culinary competition remains the premier event for chefs throughout the industry,' says David Mulcahy, Vice President, The Craft Guild of Chefs. 'Once again we will be looking for the nation's most talented chef who can demonstrate exceptional technical skill and create food with flavour, texture, balance and style that is second-to-none. The winner will also be commercially aware, practical, efficient and well- organised'.

At the start of their journey towards winning the title, contestants must devise a three-course meal for four people based around the following themes vegetarian (starter), venison (main) and chocolate (hot pudding). The initial judging stage will see the top 40 entries put through to the live semi-final cook offs hosted at The Restaurant Show, Olympia, on the 18 & 19 September 2006, where they will create their menus in front of a live audience and panel of judges.

The winner of each semi-final heat, together with the highest scoring six runners-up, will compete against each other on the last day of the show on 20 September in the Grand Final, where their creativity, skill and nerve will be tested by the infamous basket of mystery ingredients. The competition climaxes that evening when the overall winner will be crowned KNORR National Chef of the Year 2006 at a gala Awards event.

The Craft Guild of Chefs and KNORR urge all chefs to take up the challenge and enter the competition to claim their place 'at the head of the table'. Entry brochures can be requested via the KNORR National Chef of the Year 2006 hotline on 020 8686 4587.

The closing date for entries is Friday 28th April 2006.

Andrea White has been appointed as Commercial Manager with Crowne Plaza Glasgow (formerly Glasgow Moat House).
With a career in the hotel industry spanning some 16 years, Andrea was involved in staff training during the pre-opening of the Hilton hotel in 1992 and quickly rose to shift leader where she supervised reception staff and ensured a consistent level of customer service was maintained.

In 1995 she moved to London Kensington Hilton where she was promoted to Assistant Reservations Manager and two years later she moved back to Hilton Glasgow to take up the position of Reservations Manager before being promoted to Revenue Manager in '98.

'Over years Andrea has a acquired a wealth of skills in the hotel industry and is joining at an exciting time for the hotel,' says Dominic McVey, General Manager, Crowne Plaza Glasgow. 'With her commercial experience we are delighted that she is joining the team.'

A lunch at the Kilspindie House Hotel in Aberlady officially marked the launch of the new East Lothian Food and Drink Directory last week.

The Directory has been developed by East Lothian Council's Economic Development Division in partnership with the local food and drink industry as part of an ongoing strategy to promote the use of local produce in restaurants and hotels and among the general public in the county and beyond.

The lunch, attended by the food press, head chefs, hoteliers and local food and drink producers was prepared by David Kelly, head chef at Kilspindie, who used only local produce in the creation of the dishes.

The free guide lists 52 producers and retailers specialising in a wide variety of produce including bread and pastries, confectionery, alcoholic drinks, dairy products, seafood and meat.

The guide complements the successful Farmers' Market held in Haddington on the last Saturday of each month, and features a wide variety of stalls with quality produce sold by helpful and knowledgeable stallholders.

'The Directory is a key part of an important long-term strategy to promote the rich variety of superb local produce available in East Lothian, said Provost Pat O'Brien (pictured).'More people are rejecting the out-of-season foods from abroad in supermarkets and are opting for the finest home-grown seasonal produce. This creates a sustainable economy and provides valuable local employment with a range of skills.'

The guide is available from local libraries and community centres, Tourist Information Centres, Haddington Farmers' Market, or by telephoning Economic Development Division on 01620 827282. The Directory can also be viewed online at the East Lothian Food & Drink website